JPH03201755A - System for reading attribute of equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make new installation and extension of the system efficient and stable by providing equipment attribute information required for the maintenance of a peripheral equipment and equipment attribute information required for information processing to each peripheral equipment and allowing a processing unit to read the information as required. CONSTITUTION:When an exchange 1 controls a signal equipment 3 by referencing equipment attribute information in the normal operation and the occurrence of a fault of the signal equipment 3 is detected by the exchange 1, an exchange processing flow utilizing the equipment attribute is executed, an alarm is raised and the equipment attribute information is read from a main storage section 1b and a package mount number, name of manufacturer and a manufacture version number are displayed on a display section as a message. Thus, the maintenance personnel observes the message and prepares the equipment of the same manufacturing company and the same version to replace it with a faulty equipment. Thus, the new installation and extension of the system is made highly efficient and stable.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention "Field of Industrial Application" This invention relates to an information processing system in which a processing device controls peripheral devices. The present invention relates to a device attribute reading method for retaining information in the main memory of a processing device.

"Prior Art" In order for a processing device such as a switching equipment to control a peripheral device such as a signaling device, device attribute information such as the processing capacity of the peripheral device is read from the main memory of the processing device, and the processing device controls the peripheral device. When a peripheral device malfunctions, the device attribute information of the peripheral device is read out from the main storage device based on the failure information and is useful for maintenance.

For this reason, conventionally, device attribute information of a peripheral device has been created manually and stored in the main memory of the processing device prior to operation of the processing device or the peripheral device. For this reason, maintenance personnel who create device attribute information need to be aware of the internal configuration, processing capacity, device manufacturer, manufacturing version, etc. of each peripheral device. When replacing a device with one that has increased capabilities or functions (upgraded version), it was necessary to rewrite the corresponding device attribute information each time. For this reason, there were problems such as requiring maintenance personnel and increasing the chances of artificially introducing bugs such as data input errors.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device attribute reading method that solves the conventional drawbacks of increased maintenance work required to create and rewrite device attribute information and the risk of artificial bugs being introduced. .

"Means for Solving the Problem" According to the present invention, device attribute information is stored in a peripheral device, and in response to a device attribute reading command from a processing device, the device attribute information is read from the peripheral device and sent to the processing device. The processing device stores the attribute information from the peripheral device in the main memory and uses it for control, maintenance, etc.

"Function" Conventionally, when installing a new system or adding peripheral devices, a maintenance person created device attribute information and stored it in the main memory of the processing device, and the processing device used this to control the peripheral device. was. In contrast, in the present invention, the device attribute information is stored in advance in the peripheral device at the time of manufacture, and the processing device can read the device attribute information at any time without the intervention of a maintenance person.

"Example" Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a system configuration country showing an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a processing device 1 is an exchange consisting of a processor 1a and a main storage section 1b, and an exchange 1
are connected through a processing unit interface device 2 to a plurality of signal devices 3 as a plurality of peripheral devices. Each signal device 3 includes an interface circuit 3a, a processor 3b, a buffer memory I73C, and a line control section 3e.

Further, one line control unit package 3d is composed of a plurality of circuits of the line control unit 3e.

The main memory 1b of the exchange I stores programs and data for controlling various exchanges, and the processor 1a executes various controls according to information stored in the main memory 1b. The processor 3b of the signal device 3 has an internal ROM for storing programs and data, and a buffer memory 3C.
Execute various types of control using @rof! IJ Part 8 3
e processes protocol layer 2 on a line-by-line basis; that is, it is connected to a subscriber line, receives and processes information from the subscriber line, and the processing results are edited on the buffer memory 3C. The interface circuit 3a stores the execution results and the like edited on the buffer memory 3C under the control of the processor 3b in the main storage section 1b via the processing unit interface device 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the entire memory area 4 of the main storage section 1b in the exchange 1 includes an exchange processing program section 4a, a data section 4b, and a device attribute storage area 4c. The device attribute reading flow 5a is included in the exchange processing flow 5 performed by the exchange l.
, exchange processing flow 5b using device attributes, etc.
In flow 5a, a device attribute reading command that specifies the signaling device 3 is issued, and the signaling device that receives the instruction reads the device attribute information and returns it to the exchange, which is then received and reads the device attribute information in the main storage unit lb. Store in storage area 4C.

In addition, there are a program section 6a and a data section 6b in the memory area 6 of the entire ROM in the processor 3b of the signal device 3, a device attribute information section 6C is located in the data section 6b, and one package is installed in the device attribute information section 6C. Number of line control units: 6
6. The name of the company that manufactured the device 6e and the version number 6f of the device are stored separately. This device attribute information is stored by the manufacturing company when the signaling device is manufactured. When the device attribute processing flow 7 in the processing flow of the processor 3b receives the device attribute reading command, it reads the device attribute information and reports it to the exchange 1.

When the processor la of the exchange l executes the device attribute reading process 5a according to the exchange processing flow 5, the signaling device 3 reads the memory area 6 of the ROM according to the device attribute reporting process 7.
Direct memory access (
DMA), the data is stored in the corresponding memory area 4C of the main storage section 1b of the exchange 1. When a signaling device is replaced with a new version of the device due to advances in technology, this is notified to the exchange 1, and when the exchange 1 receives this notification, it executes the device attribute reading flow 5a and always updates the signal currently being used. Device attribute information of the device 3 is stored in the main storage section Ib.

During normal exchange processing, when controlling each signaling device 3, the exchange II reads the number of line control units installed in the package in the device attribute information for that signaling device from the main storage unit 1b, and controls the number of line controllers in accordance with this. Perform processing. In other words, one signal device 3
Although the number of line control units 3e accommodated in one package is fixed, processing differs depending on the number of line control units 3e installed in one package.

The number of line control units installed in this one package may vary depending on the number of manufactured versions.

In this way, during normal operation, refer to the device attribute information and exchange a.
t controls the signaling device 3, and when the occurrence of a failure in the signaling device 3 is detected on the exchange 1 side, the exchange processing flow 5b using device attributes is executed, and an alarm is issued and the device is The device attribute information is read from the main memory 1b, and the number of installed packages, manufacturer name, and manufacturing version number are displayed on the display section as a message. Therefore, the maintenance person can read this message, prepare a device of the same version manufactured by the same manufacturing company as the faulty device, and replace the faulty device with this device. If you are also notified of which line control unit has failed, you can simply replace the package and perform evacuation processing (switching the line). For example, the exchange can be configured to do this automatically.

Note that the present invention is applicable not only to the control of signaling equipment by an exchange, but also to the control of peripheral devices by a processing device in general information processing power.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, according to the present invention, each peripheral device is provided with device attribute information necessary for information processing and device attribute information necessary for maintenance of peripheral devices, and a processing device is not required. By reading the relevant information according to the situation, it is possible to eliminate the work of data creation and input by maintenance personnel and eliminate human interference, making the installation and expansion of large-scale systems such as switching equipment more efficient and stable. I can figure it out.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 shows an example of the contents of the memory area of the main storage unit 1b in the configuration of FIG. 1, and a part of the exchange processing flow. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example, an example of contents of a ROM memory area in a processor 3b, and an example of a device attribute processing flow.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an information processing system in which a processing device controls a peripheral device, the device attribute information is stored in the peripheral device, a device attribute reading command is sent from the processing device to the peripheral device, and the peripheral device receives the reading command. The peripheral device reads out the device attribute information and sends it to the processing device, and the processing device receives and stores the device attribute information.